$10, a note, and a boy with autism on a flight led to a heartwarming moment (7 Photos)

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I don’t like using the word “heartwarming.” Not because I think it’s a bad word, but because it’s one of those words that I think should be used carefully and with purpose. And this is a genuinely heartwarming story, worthy of the word.

A mother by the name of Alexa Bjornson sent her son with autism on a flight to Portland, Oregon to visit his father. Worried he might bother the passenger next to him without meaning to, she gave her son a note to explain things and $10 for any inconvenience.

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Via Facebook

What happened after this is pretty remarkable. This picture was posted by Alexa Bjornson, with this caption:

Today my son took his first flight to Oregon to see his dad. I sent Landon with a letter to give to whoever sat next to me saying he has high functioning autism so he might be nervous and ask you “are we there yet” a lot, and please just make him feel safe and comfortable, with 10 dollars in the note. And this is what I just received  I am so grateful to this individual, and that there are still kind people in the world who make a difference like I try myself to do as well. Thank you so much Ben!!!!

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Unsurprisingly, the story went viral at lightning speed, leading to a lot of reactions from people like me who were legitimately touched by the story:

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Of course, there was some negativity online, concerning the idea of why a mother would send her son with autism on a plane alone, but this particular Tweet does a damn good job of putting things into perspective.

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CNN

✔@CNN

 · Jul 1, 2019

When a mom gave her 7-year-old son with autism $10 and a note to present to the passenger next to him on a flight, the boy's seatmate donated the money https://cnn.it/2NnkdBU 

Sarah McLaughlin@citygirl_pdx

I see some negative comments about the mom sending having the son travel alone. In a perfect world, the boy would be accompanied, yes. But we all know our world is imperfect. Parents do what they are able to the best of their ability given current circumstances. #reality #BeNice

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1:13 AM - Jul 1, 2019

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Seriously though, huge kudos to Ben for being such a kind man. He could have pocketed the $10, never written to the mother, and gone about his day. Instead, he took the time to be kind in more ways than one, and that’s something I can’t help but respect.